Award-winning author on everything from chewing gum to aging disgracefully

Tag Archives: addiction

The first step for any addiction is to admit you have a problem. I don’t have a problem but in our household of two, someone seems to think I do so I’m about to dispel that belief.

Nomophobia is the fear of being without your mobile phone. The number of sufferers is on the rise which is not surprising as it no doubt correlates with smartphone uptake rather than a growing inability for otherwise ‘normal’ people to cope without it. And it does seem to be a completely rational fear, in my view, along with the fear of snakes and heights.

If you’ve ever lost your iPhone or left it behind when you’ve gone out, you will know that it is almost impossible to focus while you’re wondering how you’ll survive the next few hours alone. You probably don’t even know what you’re supposed to be doing or where you’re supposed to be without access to your calendar, voice memos, reminders, notes, alerts and notifications. And of course, you’re no longer up-to-date to the minute with everything that is going on in the microcosm world you now exist within thanks to your smartphone.

I recently went out without my iPhone and I stayed out unlike a nomophobe who would return home to retrieve their phone even if it meant being late for a meeting. And while it was an anxious time, it was more frightening (some might say ‘enlightening’) that in that four hour period not a single person – including husband, mother, sole sibling, nephews, life-long friends, colleagues or extended family – was looking for me. How could this be?

The warning signs for nomophobia for those of you who do have a problem include:

An inability to turn your phone off [Note: why do you even need to turn it off? It has a mute switch.]

Obsessively checking for emails, messages and notifications from social networks [Note: this is a fast-paced world; things can change in a second – you need to know when that happens.]

Constantly recharging your battery dreading that red low battery alert. [Note: no one wants to see that low battery alert – there’s a reason it is red (signifies danger).]

I hope this helps those of you with an addiction to your smartphone which you may need to address before it completely controls (ruins) your life.

Recent research in the UK, reported in Scientific American, shows that the presence of a cell phone while two people are having a meaningful conversation significantly affects the trust, openness, and empathy expressed during those conversations; even when the cell phone is in another room. Why?

Because we know it’s there and we’ve become an ‘instant response society’ addicted to knowing what’s going on in our extended world at any given time. Maybe there’s some work issue that needs attention and there’s an expectation that we will respond immediately or maybe someone mentioned us on Twitter or tagged us on Facebook. It’s not much different to an alcoholic who knows there’s a bottle of vodka in the cupboard and is distracted thinking about it.

The fear of being without your phone is now a recognized phobia – Nomophobia, and the number of ‘sufferers’ is on the rise. Why are we so obsessed with our phones?

For some, it’s a security blanket – we feel safer knowing the world, anything we need, is just a fingertip away. For others, we worry about missing out on something if we’re not obsessively checking for messages, emails and notifications – there’s a fear of losing connection with the outside world. And there’s another group who need the continuous endorsement of their ‘self’. As reported in The Wall Street Journal, the encouragement we get in the form of ‘likes’ boosts our self-esteem.

If you constantly have your smart phone plugged into your ear; if you cannot sit through a meal without sneaking a peek; if you are unable to have a conversation one-on-one with the people who are right in front of you because you’re thinking about your online world, then it may be time to establish boundaries for yourself. You can do this by ‘time’ – specifying the times of each day when you will not check your phone or social networks and will instead devote this time, undivided to the ‘real’ people in your life. You could also do it by function ie don’t use your phone while (a) watching TV (b) during meals (c) on someone’s birthday etc.

There was a time when smoking in restaurants was considered acceptable, but now smoking anywhere is pretty much considered antisocial. Perhaps we’re heading towards a banning of phones in restaurants; maybe that will be a niche offering by some savvy owners who guarantee a phone-free environment for your dining experience. The next time you’re in a restaurant take a look around and see how many couples are actually talking to each other with no sign of a cell phone. Do they look anxious? 🙂